This invention concerns generally compaction machinery which operates in sanitary landfills and particularly refers to improvements in protecting the axle shafts, bearing seals and wheel bearings of compaction equipment from the destructive effects of wire wrap and the like.
The compaction equipment used on sanitary landfill operations represent a substantial capital investment and must operate over thousands of hours, ideally with very little downtime beyond that which is necessary for refueling. The equipment is generally of the four wheel tractor type with a dozer blade on the front. Compaction wheels with cleats are mounted so that the tractor may grind and crush the solid waste material thereby reduce the material in volume for compaction into the landfill. The compaction wheels have high destructive characteristics but, nevertheless, encounter problems with wire, bedsprings, tarpaulins and plastic trash bags normally found at a solid waste landfill. The and other materials frequently become entwined about the axle shafts which drive the compaction wheels. Over time the entwined material penetrates into the wheel bearing and seals and may disable one or more of the compaction wheels causing substantial downtime.
In the trade the term "wire-wrap" is used to designate the trash materials including wire, plastic elements which become twisted up and which are found entrained upon the wheel axles. Dislodging the wire wrap on the vehicle is a compelling operation. First, the vehicle must be shut down for a period on the order of a day and half. Each of the four compaction wheels impeded by the wire wrap must be inspected and usually must be dismounted. This operation occupies 2 or 3 workmen using heavy duty lifting equipment to handle the steel compaction wheels. Workmen then apply various tools available to tear-down and remove the wire wrap from the vehicle. Over time wire wrap takes on some of the characteristics of concrete and is stubborn to dislodge. It can seriously damage the inner wheel spider cone. After the wire wrap has been removed, the bearings and bearing seals must be examined and replaced if there has been damage to these components. Then the compaction wheels are fitted onto the landfill compactor. The entire operation is costly. In the field of sanitary landfill operations there has been a long sought need for apparatus which would reliably exclude wire wrap from the wheel axle and its seals and bearings for tractors working at the landfill.